scholarly journals SAT-220 A Misdiagnosis Causing a Feared Complication

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Mroueh ◽  
James K Burks

Abstract Adrenal incidentalomas are being increasingly found with the widespread use of thoracic and abdominal imaging. Clinicians must determine the nature of the mass to decide what treatment, if any, is needed. All patients should undergo biochemical testing to rule out hypercortisolism, pheochromocytoma and if hypertension is present, primary hyperaldosteronism. These patients should ideally be evaluated by endocrinologists as misdiagnosis can lead to complications. A 60-year-old African American female with a history of hypertension and type 2 diabetes, was admitted to the internal medicine ward with intractable vomiting, abdominal pain and hypotension. Two weeks prior to admission, she had undergone a left sided adrenalectomy for a diagnosis of primary hyperaldosteronism. An adrenal adenoma was incidentally found 1 year before surgery during abdominal imaging done for diverticulitis. She was immediately referred to a surgeon for further work up and evaluation. The work up done for the adrenal incidentaloma included renin, aldosterone and plasma fractionated metanephrines. Plasma renin was low (0.2 ng/mL/hr, n: 0.5-4.0 ng/mL/hr), and Aldosterone was normal (8.1 ng/dL, n<16 ng/dL) and the Aldosterone/ Renin ratio was elevated. No confirmatory test was done and no evaluation for hypercortisolism was done either. Plasma fractionated metanephrines were normal. During current hospitalization, an AM cortisol was 1.5 mcg/dL (n: 6-28 mcg/dL). An ACTH stimulation test was done which showed an inadequate response. She was subsequently started on stress dose steroids with rapid improvement in her symptoms. She was discharged with hydrocortisone and has been followed in our endocrinology clinic. She has yet to fully recover HPA axis but is currently on low dose Hydrocortisone and doing well. This patient was misdiagnosed with primary hyperaldosterenism when she most likely had subclinical hypercortisolism. Patients with primary hyperaldosteronism typically have plasma aldosterone > 15 ng/dL and low levels of plasma renin, with a ratio of plasma aldosterone to plasma renin activity > 20. Low levels of both plasma renin activity and aldosterone suggest nonaldosterone mineralocorticoid excess. Cushing syndrome can cause similar findings. Confirmatory tests should be done, and most patients require bilateral catheterization of the adrenal veins to measure cortisol and aldosterone levels to confirm whether the aldosterone excess is unilateral or bilateral. A 1 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test is recommended for all adrenal incidentaloma patients to exclude asymptomatic hypercortisolism.

1999 ◽  
Vol 162 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Vendeira ◽  
D Pignatelli ◽  
D Neves ◽  
MM Magalhaes ◽  
MC Magalhaes ◽  
...  

Adrenocortical regeneration after adrenal autotransplantation provides a model for the study of local autocrine/paracrine mechanisms involved in the growth and differentiation of the adrenal cortex. To study the possible involvement of some growth factors, namely basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, FGF-2) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), in cell differentiation, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies were carried out on adrenal autotransplants in adult male rats. To distinguish between fasciculata and glomerulosa-like cells with accuracy, tissue sections were immunostained with IZAb, which recognizes the inner zone antigen (IZAg) present in fasciculata and reticularis cells but absent from the glomerulosa, and by electron microscopy. IGF-I-treated animals exhibited a clear glomerulosa-like zone that was devoid of IZAb immunostaining. In this outer subcapsular area, ultrastructural examination showed cells containing mitochondria with irregular cristae resembling those of the fetal or immature glomerulosa cells. In contrast, no significant morphological differences were observed in bFGF-treated animals when compared with those from saline-treated controls, in both of which, IZAb immunostaining occurred in almost all adrenocortical cells, with no clear zonation or glomerulosa, as seen in the intact animal. Plasma aldosterone and corticosterone concentrations were lower in autotransplanted control animals than in intact controls, although plasma renin activities were similar. IGF-I treatment significantly increased aldosterone concentrations, whereas corticosterone and plasma renin activity were reduced. bFGF infusion further reduced plasma aldosterone, although plasma renin activity and corticosterone were unaffected. These results suggest that the two growth factors have different effects on zonal differentiation and function in the autotransplanted gland. In particular, bFGF, by reducing glomerulosa function, appears partly to replicate the actions of ACTH in normal animals. In contrast, IGF-I enhances the glomerulosa secreting phenotype and diminishes that of the fasciculata/reticularis, possibly replicating the actions of angiotensin II or a low sodium diet.


1977 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Sutton ◽  
G. W. Viol ◽  
G. W. Gray ◽  
M. McFadden ◽  
P. M. Keane

Responses of plasma renin activity, plasma aldosterone, plasma cortisol, and plasma electrolyte concentration and urinary electrolyte and aldosterone excretion were studied in four men during hypoxic decompression to a stimulated altitude of 4,760 m in a pressure chamber. Three of the four subjects developed significant acute mountain sickness. Plasma sodium and potassium concentrations were unchanged. No significant change in plasma renin activity was observed, but values tended to fall. Plasma aldosterone concentration was depressed while plasma cortisol was elevated and diurnal variation lost. Urinary sodium excretion was unchanged, but urinary potassium and aldosterone excretion were decreased. The decrease in plasma and urinary aldosterone and urinary potassium in the absence of change in plasma renin activity or plasma potassium is of uncertain origin. It is unlikely to be due to a decrease in adrenocorticotropin secretion since plasma cortisol rose during the same time. None of the changes could be causally implicated in the development of acute mountain sickness although the increase in plasma cortisol was greatest in the most ill.


Hypertension ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 488-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeng Guo ◽  
Marko Poglitsch ◽  
Diane Cowley ◽  
Oliver Domenig ◽  
Brett C. McWhinney ◽  
...  

The aldosterone/renin ratio (ARR) is currently considered the most reliable approach for case detection of primary aldosteronism (PA). ACE (Angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors are known to raise renin and lower aldosterone levels, thereby causing false-negative ARR results. Because ACE inhibitors lower angiotensin II levels, we hypothesized that the aldosterone/equilibrium angiotensin II (eqAngII) ratio (AA2R) would remain elevated in PA. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis involving 60 patients with PA and 40 patients without PA revealed that the AA2R was not inferior to the ARR in screening for PA. When using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to measure plasma aldosterone concentration, the predicted optimal AA2R cutoff for PA screening was 8.3 (pmol/L)/(pmol/L). We then compared the diagnostic performance of the AA2R with the ARR among 25 patients with PA administered ramipril (5 mg/day) for 2 weeks. Compared with basally, plasma levels of equilibrium angiotensin I (eqAngI) and direct renin concentration increased significantly ( P <0.01 or P <0.05) after ramipril treatment, whereas eqAngII and ACE activity (eqAngII/eqAngI) decreased significantly ( P <0.01). The changes of plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone concentration in the current study were not significant. On day 14, 4 patients displayed false-negative results using ARR_direct renin concentration (plasma aldosterone concentration/direct renin concentration), 3 of whom also showed false-negative ARR_plasma renin activity (plasma aldosterone concentration/plasma renin activity). On day 15, 2 patients still demonstrated false-negative ARR_plasma renin activity, one of whom also showed a false-negative ARR_direct renin concentration. No false-negative AA2R results were observed on either day 14 or 15. In conclusion, compared with ARR which can be affected by ACE inhibitors causing false-negative screening results, the AA2R seems to be superior in detecting PA among subjects receiving ACE inhibitors.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. e333-e334
Author(s):  
F. Giulietti ◽  
F. Spannella ◽  
E. Borioni ◽  
F.E. Lombardi ◽  
L. Landi ◽  
...  

1988 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadao Nakajima ◽  
Hiromichi Suzuki ◽  
Yo Kageyama ◽  
Takashi Takita ◽  
Takao Saruta

Abstract. The effects of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, plasma renin activity, aldosterone, cortisol, norepinephrine, epinephrine and arginine vasopressin were studied in 6 anuric subjects receiving regular hemodialysis. An iv bolus injection of 8 nmol of ANP followed by infusion at 32 pmol·kg−1·min−1 for 1 h in the pre- and posthemodialysis period was performed. Basal plasma ANP was higher before than after hemodialysis. ANP administration produced a reduction in mean arterial blood pressure accompanied by an elevation of norepinephrine and of plasma renin activity (from 2.49 ± 0.52 to 3.39 ± 0.85 nmol·l−1·h−1 predialysis and from 2.78 ± 0.71 to 3.15 ± 0.86 nmol·l−1·h−1 postdialysis, respectively, mean ± sem; P < 0.05). Plasma aldosterone and cortisol were significantly decreased. Plasma epinephrine and AVP remained unchanged. These hemodynamic and hormonal changes were similar in the pre- and the postdialysis period. These results suggest that 1) ANP causes a fall in mean arterial blood pressure, which in turn induces reflex tachycardia and activation of the sympathetic nervous system without diuresis; 2) the activated sympathetic nervous system as reflected in elevation of plasma norepinephrine may increase plasma renin activity; 3) reduced plasma aldosterone is not influenced by enhancement of the reninangiotensin system; therefore, 4) reduction of plasma aldosterone as well as cortisol is probably due to direct action of ANP, and finally 5) AVP had no direct relation with ANP administration.


2002 ◽  
Vol 283 (2) ◽  
pp. F294-F301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Höcherl ◽  
Martin C. Kammerl ◽  
Karl Schumacher ◽  
Dirk Endemann ◽  
Horst F. Grobecker ◽  
...  

We investigated the effect of cyclooxygenase (COX) activity on the regulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system by salt intake. Therefore, Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to different salt diets [0.02, 0.6, and 8% NaCl (wt/wt)] and treated with the selective COX-2 inhibitor rofecoxib (10 mg · kg body wt−1 · day−1) or with ketorolac at a dose selective for COX-1 inhibition (2 mg · kg body wt−1 · day−1) for 3, 7, 14, and 21 days. Rofecoxib and ketorolac caused a similar reduction of renocortical PGE2 formation with a low-salt diet. Rofecoxib did not change plasma renin activity or renocortical renin mRNA abundance with any of the diets but clearly lowered plasma aldosterone concentration. In contrast, ketorolac delayed the increase in plasma renin activity and of renin mRNA in response to low salt intake but did not change plasma aldosterone concentration. Prolonged treatment with rofecoxib but not with ketorolac caused an upregulation of COX-2 expression while COX-1 mRNA abundance remained unchanged. These findings suggest that COX-1-derived, but not COX-2-derived, prostanoids are of relevance for the regulation of the renin system by salt intake.


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